The Florida Lottery has revealed its contributions to the state’s Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF) have now exceeded $43bn.
Since the lottery’s inception in 1988, Florida’s public schools have received more than $23bn, while colleges and universities have received a combined total of more than $11bn. Additionally, over $8bn has been used to fund the Bright Futures Scholarship Programme, which has enabled over 950,000 students to attend college since 1997.
During the current fiscal year, the Florida Lottery is averaging more than $6.7m a day in contributions to education.
The lottery also shared that it has contributed more than $1bn annually for the past 21 consecutive years.
“I’m extremely proud to announce this latest milestone in the lottery’s ongoing effort to enhance education in our great state,” said Florida Lottery Secretary John F. Davis. “We believe the leaders of tomorrow are in the classroom today, and these lottery contributions are helping to create brighter futures for students, their families, and the communities in which they reside.”
Earlier this year, the lottery reported record-breaking sales of $9.3bn in FY2022, $370.3m (2.8%) higher than expected, which was aided by a surge in Mega Millions ticket sales.